Thoughts while "cocooning" ...

While today is not quite as gloomy as yesterday, it is still a good moment to celebrate the pleasures of hearth and home -- even though I am without a hearth these days.  So I don't need to use the services of the local chimney sweeps, sad to say, as they sound like interesting people to meet.  HWMBO, who like the overwhelming majority of the US male population, is preparing for the Super Bowl game Sunday, spent yesterday stocking up on groceries and on gas in anticipation of the snowstorm that is plaguing the DC metropolitan area at the moment.   From all reports, the snowstorm is a massive one, with general disruptions to travel, but one still likes to know that the gas tank is full.  The storm is also a major disappointment to elementary and secondary school students in the area.  "Snow days," in their opinion, are much too valuable to be "wasted" on weekends.

Here by Lake Geneva right now, we merely continue in a soggy state.  Indoors, it's nice and cozy and I am most happy to stay right where I am.  But thinking about family and weather has brought memories of the winter of 2004-2005.  At the time, we lived so close to the lake that we practically had our feet in the water (les pieds dans l'eau).  That winter, the wind, water and cold weather colluded in ice creations and "sculptures" that were quite spectacular.  They showed how Nature's artistry can be, and often is, unparalleled.  Here are some magic scenes from the waterfront.

The view into our back yard resembled the Snow Queen's enchanted domain.  But it was much more comfortable seen from the inside of the apartment.  Outside, it was like living in a refrigerator.  And the ice was so dangerous that we couldn't even walk outside.

The experience was unforgettable, but very difficult to describe to those who were not here at the time. So I am very happy to have the photo memories.